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1.13.23 | DIGS.NET 31 M A R K E T social responsibility. This is not a building found on every block—not in Mexico, not anywhere— but a building born from blended inspirations. Taking its name from the idea of "serene contemplation of an enclosed space," as put by the property, Casa TO "evokes the reticu- lated pattern of two historical hydraulic works of timeless beauty: the Basilica Cistern or Yere- batan Sarayi of Istanbul, dating from the 6th century AD, and the Hornsey Wood Reservoir in Finsbury Park, London, built in the 19th century. The interplay of privacy and exposure is evident. The interior views create an oasis enclosed by the sky, the weight of the walls and the vegeta- tion of climbing plants and fruit trees including bananas and passion fruit. In this area, measur- ing 600 square meters, Godefroy interweaves aesthetics and functionality, emphasizing the honesty of the textures of the raw materials, such as concrete, steel, clay, and wood." At its heart is the project's covered infin- ity pool and solarium. "The former alludes to the vaulted volumes and the signature style of Le Corbusier with rectilinear lines, exposed loadbearing walls, lightweight structures, and open-plan interiors." The divisions of the terraced solarium, meanwhile, provide privacy. An adjacent volume houses a modest but memo- rable offering of unfussy, minimally finished suites: those on the ground floor enjoy gardens; upper-level offerings showcase a terrace and outdoor bath. Transversal walls and circular cuts of raw concrete and temple-like steps—the most conspicuous nod to ancient Oaxacan building traditions—are all defining features of the archi- tecture. The latter element, a stairway to heaven no matter how one slices it, guiding guests from suite to water or suite to rooftop, also serves the more impromptu purpose of providing seating or a place to sunbathe. The architecture flourishes when greenery is left to scale exterior walls and sheath expo- sures in a kind of picturesque privacy shield. As a form meets flora homage to its context, Casa TO trades on the tropical setting at every turn, embracing nature as a bridge between indoor and outdoor thresholds. Vibrant green vegeta- tion against grey concrete revitalizes the eye even as it refreshes the spirit and also helps to soften the strong profile and hard edges of the architecture's heavier, more durable surfaces. The result is a living, thriving environment—the most alluring expression of a concrete jungle. Having beauty at its back door liberates the minimalist interior from superfluous oversteps. The sparse, open-plan interior design borrows— not extravagantly, and most noticeably in the natural tones of the materials and the nuanced use of yellow, blue, and green hues—from its naturally textured surround. A pattern of an existing Madagascar Blue Bismarck palm tree on the site, for example, informed the project's stripped-down decorative scheme, if "decora- tive" can be applied. A busier and less-localized interior might not draw the eye where it should be: on lamps by Natural Urbano studio, bamboo pieces by Tiago Solís Van Beuren, and furniture built by master carpenters from Puebla, Guada- lajara, and Oaxaca. Each element of Casa TO—from the work of artisans and Mexican design studios, to plant-infused products, to the setting itself— root the structure firmly to its place. Though the structure is soundly of its time, as well, even as one traverses the temple-inspired terrace steps and thoughts turn to Mexico's sky-high archae- ological ruins. This is a temple, too—to honest, unambiguous contemporary architecture. A new dawn for a work inspired by an older age. ludwiggodefroy.com